The Shadow Queen
by Jay Legion
Summary: (On hiatus. Again. Sorry. College is rather time-consuming...) The Twelfth Doctor receives a message from the Shadow Architect, who asks him to take a look on her home planet. Something is apparently very, very wrong there. The Doctor believes her and takes Clara with him to the Shadow Lands. The Tenth Doctor shows up in flashback scenes. Rated T for violent scenes
1. Prologue

**Because of the long wait for the new chapter of our other DW-fic, we decided to give you the first chapter of the DW-fic we mentioned before. We hope you like it, and of course, please fav/follow and RandR**

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><p>The twelfth Doctor was busy with the machinery of his TARDIS, when he suddenly felt his psychic paper glow hot.<p>

'What…?' he muttered.

He pulled it out of his pocket to see what was on it.

_Shadow Constellation_.  
><em>Come at once<em>.  
><em>S.A<em>.

'What is it, Doctor?' Clara asked, peeking over his shoulder.

'Look,' the Doctor said, showing her the psychic paper.

'Shadow Constellation…, come at once… S.A…. Who sent that?' Clara asked interested.

'The Shadow Architect. Have you ever been there?' the Doctor asked her.

'The Shadow Constellation? No, not that I recall,' Clara said, 'Why do you suppose he is asking you to come?'

'_She_ apparently has a problem and needs our help. I say it is worth having a look, don't you think?' the Doctor smiled.

Clara smiled. 'Sounds good to me.'

'Good,' the Doctor said and immediately set a course to the Shadow Constellation.

Only a minute later, the TARDIS landed with its wheezing and groaning sound.

The Doctor stepped outside, followed by Clara.

They looked around in the clean white hall, where a few white-haired, red-eyed figures were walking around. They all gazed in surprise at the blue box.

'Doctor?' an old female voice asked, 'Is that you?'

He turned to face her and smiled. 'Yes, new face.'

'New you….'

'Indeed.'

'And who's the young lady?' the Shadow Architect asked.

'I'm Clara Oswin Oswald,' Clara said with a smile, 'Pleasure to meet you.'

She looked at the Shadow Architect, an old woman with snow-white hair and big red eyes, wearing nothing but black clothes.

'Welcome to the Shadow Constellation, my dear. I am the Shadow Architect,' she said.

She gestured at the hallway behind her. 'Walk with me, if you please.'

Clara and the Doctor followed the woman into the hallway.

'So why did you ask me to come, madam?' the Doctor asked, 'I assume it is urgent….'

'It is,' the Shadow Architect said, 'You are familiar with my home planet, Doctor?'

'Yes, I have been in the Shadow Lands once before, at least five centuries ago.'

'You have?' Clara asked, 'I don't remember that.'

'I was in my tenth regeneration back then,' the Doctor said, 'And at that moment in-between companions. I met the young Dauphiness, a frail, blind, young woman.'

'She is Queen now,' the Shadow Architect said, 'Queen Nerenya, first of her name….'

'Oh, good for her.'

'Not really. She became Queen a fortnight after her father's death.'

'Ai… poor thing. How old was she?' the Doctor asked.

'Twenty eight centanni.'

'Which is how long ago?'

'Exactly one centannus in a week,' the Shadow Architect sighed.

'Excuse me, what is a centannus?' Clara asked.

'The Shadow People age a lot slower than humans or Time Lords for that matter,' the Doctor said, 'For them, one year is the same as a hundred years for us. Hence the name centannus.'

'Ah, makes sense.'

The Doctor smiled. 'Indeed. So what exactly is the problem, madam?'

'On the day of Nerenya's coronation, everything seemed to be fine,' the Shadow Architect said, 'Her Majesty retired early, but that was because she was simply exhausted. However, over night, every single person at that moment inside the Shadow Castle was forced to leave. For as far as I know only Nerenya and her personal servant are still inside. And ever since, the Black Gates have been sealed. No one has seen the Queen in a hundred years.'

'And you are afraid something is terribly wrong there,' the Doctor said.

The Shadow Architect nodded.

'Please go and have a look there. I am deeply worried. She's only a little girl.'

'I will,' the Doctor promised, 'I promised her I would come to visit her once more anyway.'

The old lady smiled gratefully. 'Thank you, Doctor.'

'So then,' Clara said, 'we're going to meet the Shadow Queen.'

'So it would seem, Clara,' the Doctor smiled.

They walked back to the TARDIS, accompanied by the Shadow Architect.

'It was brief, but a pleasure,' the Doctor said to her.

'Indeed, Doctor,' the Shadow Architect said, 'I am glad to see you are in good health and in good company.'

'Thank you,' Clara smiled and made a slight curtsy.

'We'll be off then,' the Doctor said and entered the TARDIS.

Clara quickly waved at the Shadow Architect and jumped inside as well.

'So we're going to the Shadow Lands then?' she asked.

The Doctor was already fully busy with all the gauges and gears.

'Yes, we are. The sooner we get there, the better.'

He smiled.

'What's she like, the Shadow Queen?' Clara asked.

'When she and I met, the Shadow Queen was still Nerenya, Dauphiness of the Shadow Lands, the Nethershadows and the Shady Isles. She is the gentlest soul I have ever met, but ever so frail, so breakable….'

'How come?' Clara asked curiously.

'Nerenya was born blind,' the Doctor sighed, 'She has never so much as set a foot outside the Shadow Castle. She wasn't allowed to.'

'Why not?'

'Her father, King Oberyon, has always been very protective of his only child. He would never let her even be alone. When he conquered the Nethershadows, he took the son of the Prince of the Nethershadows to live in the Shadow Castle and be his daughter's guide and personal servant. She never goes anywhere without him now. I can't remember the boy's name. I just remember him being a handsome young man with ginger curls and blue eyes.'

Clara smiled. 'Really?'

The Doctor smiled too.

'I remember the day she and I met well now,' he continued, 'but it's a rather long story. I promise I will tell you all about it later, okay?'

'Okay.' Clara smiled at him.

'Okay, then let's go.'

The TARDIS began making its wheezing and groaning sound as it disappeared from the Shadow Constellation and moved through space.

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><p><strong>So, first chapter. Tell us what you think of it!<strong>

**Here's a slight incentive for y'all: the young man mentioned by the Doctor, well... let's just say he grows up _very_ handsomely...**

****NB. ****If you guys would like to read fics based on other stuff, tell us and we'll see what we can do for you. It'll still be OC, but that's merely because we don't write anything else... Nevertheless, we have a wide variation of fics so the chance there's something in there that you guys like is quite big. We have put down a list of our fandoms in our profile, so, if you want to know what we write about and/or make a request, have a look! ^-^****


	2. Chapter 1

**Here's the second chapter for y'all. Hope you like it, and please, fav/follow and R&R! :D**

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><p><strong>~O~ Insert Doctor Who intro here ~O~<strong>

The TARDIS landed with its usual wheezing and groaning break sound.

Clara looked outside.

They had landed on the side of a street.

There were ordinary little houses on each side of the road. They looked old-fashioned and rather simple, but packed tightly together. The whole thing looked a bit medieval.

The streets were dark and abandoned. It appeared to be night.

'Where are we, Doctor?' Clara asked.

The Doctor looked outside as well.

'We should be in Umbrian,' the Doctor said, 'the capitol of the Shadow Lands.'

'But…?'

'But I don't see anyone. This is supposed to be a very lively city.'

They left the TARDIS and began to stroll down the street.

Soon enough however, a woman called out to them from her front door.

'Hey, you two! What are you doing outside past curfew?'

The Doctor immediately walked over to her, followed by Clara.

'Oh, I am so very glad to find you here, madam,' the Doctor said, 'If you don't mind me asking, since when has this curfew been active?'

'You're not from around here, then?' the woman asked, not unfriendly.

'Not really,' Clara said with a slight smile.

'Alright, come on in, then,' the woman said and held the door open for them.

'Thank you,' Clara said and took the Doctor's hand. 'Come on, Doctor!'

The Doctor smiled and followed her inside.

The woman introduced herself as Méav Dorval.

She made them sit down in her cosy little living room and sat down herself as well.

'So who are you, and what brings you to Umbrian?' Méav asked.

'Well, I'm the Doctor,' the Doctor said, 'and this is my companion, Clara.'

'The Doctor?' Méav asked, 'Doctor who?'

'Just the Doctor,' Clara said with a smile.

'Oh, all right then…' Méav said, 'Would you like a cup of tea?'

'That would be lovely,' Clara said.

'I'll be right back then,' Méav said and disappeared into her small kitchen.

'Ah… she hasn't changed a bit,' the Doctor said with a smile.

'Who? Méav?' Clara asked surprised.

'Yes…' the Doctor said, 'I remember her now, with all my memory loss, I am starting to remember small things from long ago.'

'You do?'

'Mhm. I remember things from the first time I was here. She was a maid in the palace.'

'A maid?' Clara asked.

'In the service of the Dauphiness,' the Doctor added.

A few moments later, Méav returned to the living room with a tray and three damping cups of tea.

'There you go,' she smiled while putting two of them in front of Clara and the Doctor.

'Thank you,' Clara smiled at her.

'So, where was I?' she muttered while sitting down, 'Oh yes, you were going to tell me what the two of you were doing here.'

'We… are here on request of the Shadow Architect,' the Doctor said, 'She asked us to find out what is wrong here.'

'The Shadow Architect?' Méav asked amazed, 'Really?'

'Yes. Do you know her?' the Doctor asked.

'Only by reputation. The Shadow Architect hasn't been around here in ages.'

'I know….'

'So you are here to investigate why the castle is empty…' Méav said softly.

'Yes…' Clara said, 'What can you tell us about that?'

'Let me think…. Ah, yes, I remember…. It was the day of Nerenya's coronation. Practically the entire kingdom was there to celebrate. The Dauphiness had never looked lovelier. She was crowned Queen of the Shadow Lands, Princess of the Nethershadows and Ruler of the Shady Isles at exactly three o'clock in the evening. After that, there was a massive celebration. Little Nerenya was tired…. I could see it in her face. So I suggested she would retire early. I remember her smiling and saying she was glad she was not the one to come up with that.'

Méav smiled at the memory.

'I informed everyone else the Queen had retired for the evening and then we continued to party. Close to midnight however, a strange trance fell over everyone. As one, we all stood up, packed our stuff and walked out of the palace, across the bridge into the city. We couldn't do anything. We could only obey. When we finally managed to snap out of it, the last thing we saw was Nerenya's personal servant closing the Black Gates, with a plain evil smile on his face. Oh, how we tried to get back in…. To no avail…. They were sealed.'

'Her servant did this?' the Doctor asked with a confused frown.

Méav nodded.

'I don't believe that. I've met the boy. He was the purest and gentlest soul I have ever met.'

'Yet, he was capable of powerful sorcery…' the maid whispered, 'I don't even know whether Nerenya is still alive. No one does….'

'We have to find a way to get into the palace,' Clara said determined, 'The Queen's life may depend on it!'

'Indeed,' the Doctor nodded.

He wanted to jump up and head back to the TARDIS immediately.

'Stay for the night, if you please,' Méav said to them, 'If Nerenya is alive, then she is asleep now. Plus, there is a curfew here. If the two of you are caught outside at this hour, you will face serious consequences….'

'Alright…' the Doctor said, 'I suppose one night more or less won't hurt….'

Méav smiled relieved and led them to a small guestroom.

'It isn't much, but make yourself comfortable,' she said with a warm smile.

'We will,' Clara said and smiled back at her. 'Goodnight!'

She settled in on her bed and looked at the Doctor.

'Sleep tight.' She smiled at him.

'You too.' The Doctor leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.


	3. Chapter 2

**Sorry, sorry, sorry for the long wait! We completely forgot we already had a third chapter finished! Hope you all don't mind the wait.**

**Finally introducing the Shadow Queen in this chapter, and chapter 4 is coming up soon too :) Enjoy, and please fav/follow and review! Thanks!**

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><p>The Shadow Queen woke up to the lack of warmth beside her. She reached out to the other side of the bed. Nothing but a cold pillow and empty bed sheets. She sat up and straightened her back.<p>

'Good morning, my Lady,' a bass voice said to her.

Queen Nerenya smiled and held out her hand.

Her servant moved closer until her hand touched his shoulder.

'Good morning, Yngall,' Nerenya said while her hand slid over his muscular shoulder up his neck to his cheek, where she let it rest.

'Have you slept well, my Lady?' Yngall asked gently.

'Okay, I suppose,' Nerenya shrugged and pulled her hand back.

'Good,' Yngall said.

'Were you up early?'

'Only little more than half an hour, my Queen. I tried not to wake you while I went to dress myself.'

'You succeeded,' Nerenya smiled. 'I only woke up because of a lack of warmth next to me.'

'I apologise,' Yngall said, his smile practically audible.

Nerenya slipped from under the covers and put her delicate feet on the ground.

Only then, she bothered to open her eyes.

Her pale red eyes, staring blind into the void, with long black curling eyelashes.

She held out her hand again.

Yngall took her hand and helped her up.

She was wearing a simple white nightgown that reached until her ankles. She walked to her closet, holding out one hand to guide herself.

Yngall walked with her, making sure she would not hit anything.

In front of her closet, Nerenya waited until her servant had opened it. Then she slipped the bands of her shoulders and let her nightgown drop on the ground. She took off her panties as well and her servant took a fresh one.

'Left foot,' Yngall said and she lifted it up.

'Right foot.'

Nerenya felt his warm hands go up her legs as he helped her put her panties on. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Next, she lifted up her arms for him to put her bra on which she then adjusted.

She straightened her back.

'Which dress would you like to wear today, my Lady?' Yngall asked, his deep baritone voice almost purring, as always causing slight goose flesh on her arms.

Nerenya shrugged. 'Something silk.'

Yngall smiled and went through the dresses.

'Your favourite then, my Lady?'

Nerenya nodded and waited for him to fetch it.

Yngall put the dress over her head and then helped her arms through the sleeves. He pulled the dress down her body and tied it up on her back.

Next, he made sure everything was hanging correctly. He hung a metal chain-belt around her hips and a filigree golden belt around her waist.

Nerenya held out a hand and let Yngall guide her to her chair.

She sat down and allowed her servant to put her shoes on her feet.

He took a brush and began to brush the Queen's snow-white hair, while she washed her face and hands.

Then her servant applied a delicate layer of make-up on her face, before proceeding with jewellery.

He placed the Shadow Crown on her head, gold with white pearls.

Next, he hung a necklace around her neck, made of gold filigree.

Finally, he took the seal ring, gold with a black onyx stone, engraved with the family crest, and put it on the ring finger of her right hand.

'There, you are ready, my Lady,' Yngall said, while he put white pearl earrings in her ears.

Nerenya smiled and stood up.

'Do you want to have breakfast, my Queen?' Yngall asked.

Nerenya shook her head.

'As you wish,' her servant sighed. 'I'll bring you to the throne room.'

His Queen held out her hand again and let him guide her.

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><p>The Doctor had not slept at all. All night long, he had kept pondering over the words of both Méav and the Shadow Architect.<p>

That servant was responsible for the empty castle? He could not wrap his mind around it. That young man was such a kind thing. Despite the fact that Nerenya's father had overthrown his father, he felt no wrath against her. He had told the Doctor that he barely remembered being a prince. He had been only five at the time, after all.

But oh, what was that boy's name? He could not possibly remember it.

Clara woke up next to him with a loud yawn.

'Morning, Doctor,' she said.

'Hello Clara.'

Clara yawned again and rubbed her eyes. She sat up and arched her back.

'Did you sleep at all?' she asked him.

'No. I had too much to think about,' the Doctor said.

'Like what?' Clara asked while she got out of bed and cleaned herself up a bit.

'Everything the Shadow Architect and Méav have told us. Something is just not right about it. I know that boy, and I don't believe he would ever be capable of such an evil act. Ah… if only I could remember his name….'

He had stood up and was playing with his sonic screwdriver. 'It really bugs me.'

Clara looked at him as he paced up and down the small room. 'Why can't I remember these little things?' he complained.

A soft knock on the door. 'Are you two up already?' Méav asked.

'Yes,' Clara said and opened the door.

'Good morning,' the woman said. 'Have you two slept well?'

The Doctor huffed annoyed in reply.

'That's a no,' Clara said with a slight smile. 'He didn't sleep.'

'Oh…. Well, I have breakfast ready, so come on down if you're hungry,' Méav said.

They went down and had breakfast.

The Doctor still did not speak much. A hum or a huff was all that came out of him.

'What's bugging him?' Méav asked Clara.

'He can't remember some things, like names,' Clara said. 'Also he refuses to believe that that servant of the Queen could be capable of evil.'

'I see…' Méav said pensively.

'Well, we better get moving,' the Doctor said and stood up. 'The Queen is waiting.'

Clara nodded and quickly finished her breakfast.

Then they thanked Méav extensively and left for the TARDIS.


	4. Chapter 3

**As promised, the new chapter! ****:) Hopefully we can put up the next chapter somewhere next week. After that, things may get icky. Our finals are in three weeks, so we have a lot of studying to do... Anyway, we hope you'll like it, and please fav/follow and review! Thanks!**

**(A/N: the name Yngall is derived from the Welsh words for 'Wise One')**

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><p>As they entered the throne room, Yngall suddenly stopped.<p>

'Ah, my sincerest apologies, my Lady,' he said. 'I completely forgot about your cloak. Please excuse me while I go and fetch it.'

Nerenya nodded calmly and pulled her hand back.

Her servant quickly made his way out of the room.

The Queen listened as his footsteps faded.

She sighed softly and walked into the throne room. It was completely quiet, apart from her own footsteps, her soft breath and steady heartbeat.

A loud wheezing and groaning sound broke through the silence.

Nerenya abruptly turned her head towards the sound.

She heard a door open, followed by female and male footsteps.

'Where are we now, Doctor?' a British voice asked.

'This, Clara, is the throne room of the Shadow Castle,' a Scottish voice said.

'Ahum,' said a soft voice behind them.

Both Clara and the Doctor turned around. They stared at the young woman for a moment. The Doctor's face softened almost immediately.

'Your Majesty,' he said. 'I am so very relieved to see you in good health.'

Nerenya smiled briefly and somewhat distant as she extended a hand, on which the Doctor pressed a kiss.

'Have we met before?' the Queen asked.

'Yes and no, my Queen,' the Doctor said. 'I have met you before, but not in this form. I regenerated. Twice, actually.'

A smile now truly lit up Nerenya's face. 'Doctor… you have returned….'

'You remember me, then,' the Doctor said somewhat relieved.

'I never forgot, Doctor,' Nerenya said. 'How could I possibly forget?'

Then she directed her attention to Clara. 'And who is this?'

'This is my companion, Clara Oswin Oswald,' the Doctor said.

Clara curtseyed. 'Hello.'

'Clara,' the Doctor continued. 'Allow me to introduce you to Her Majesty, the Shadow Queen Nerenya, first of her name, Queen of the Shadow Lands, Princess of the Nethershadows and Ruler of the Shady Isles.'

Nerenya smiled briefly. 'Pleasure.'

'My Lady, are you all alone here?' the Doctor asked worriedly.

'No, my servant went to go and fetch my cloak. He forgot to put it around my shoulder this morning,' Nerenya said softly.

'Your servant?' the Doctor asked. 'I remember him, that boy who would _always_ accompany you, right?'

'Yes, that's the one. Yngall is his name.'

'Now I remember,' the Doctor exclaimed.

'Hmm?' Nerenya titled her head slightly.

'When I regenerated, I lost large parts of my memory,' the Doctor began to explain. 'But some things from long ago, like when we met, those things I am starting to remember. Though I keep forgetting names. I am not good with names.'

'I understand. Now you know, though.' Nerenya smiled softly.

'Your Majesty, if I may ask something,' Clara said.

'What is it, Miss Oswald?' Queen Nerenya asked.

Her blind eyes stared right through the young woman, which made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

'Do you know who is responsible for this emptiness?' Clara then asked.

'I don't know,' Nerenya said softly. 'The day of my coronation I retired early. I fell asleep almost as soon as I was in bed. My servant was beside me the entire night, just as he was there when I woke up. Then we found that the entire castle was abandoned….'

'How would you know if he was with you all night if you were asleep?' Clara asked.

'Clara!' the Doctor said reprimanding. 'That is not how you speak to a Queen.'

Clara bit her lip. 'I'm sorry….'

'Though Clara has a fair point,' Nerenya said with a gentle smile. 'Indeed, how would I know if I was asleep the entire night?'

The Doctor nodded. 'If you would explain….'

'I first would like to hear what you know, Doctor,' Nerenya said calmly. 'If you don't mind.'

At that moment, Nerenya's servant rushed back in, carrying a warm, dark cloak in his arms. Clara gasped, as the young man was utterly handsome.

Unlike any of the Shadow Landers she'd seen before, the young man had auburn curls, and his eyes were a unique kind of green-blue with a dash of brownish yellow. He had a bit of a round chin, but an impressive jaw line, a straight nose and sharp cheekbones. He was wearing a pair of dark khaki trousers, knee-high black boots and a simple, white linen shirt with a pale turquoise vest over it.

'Yngall, there you are,' Nerenya said, unaware of Clara's half-open mouth.

'Again, my apologies, my Lady,' Yngall said with his deep baritone voice. 'Allow me to drape your cloak around your shoulders.'

Nerenya turned her back to him and waited patiently. The young man gently laid the cloak on her shoulders and then quickly walked around her to fasten it.

Only then, the servant turned his attention to the two visitors. 'Who are you? And how did you get in here? The Black Gates are sealed.' He frowned slightly.

Clara gasped quietly. Even his voice was beautiful, with its rich, low timbre.

'Apologies… Yngall, was it?' the Doctor began.

Yngall nodded.

'I'm the Doctor,' the Time Lord introduced himself, 'and this is my companion, Clara.'

Clara quickly pulled herself together and smiled. 'Hi, nice to meet you.'

'You still haven't told me how you got in here,' Yngall said unmoved.

'Yngall, don't you remember the Doctor?' Nerenya asked softly. 'It was on my 23rd centennial.'

'I remember the Doctor,' Yngall said, 'but I'm pretty sure he didn't look or sound like that, my Lady.'

'I regenerated,' the Doctor said. 'Twice, to be honest.'

'Ah. I see. So you materialised into the throne room, I take it?' Yngall said. 'With your… what was it?'

'My TARDIS,' the Doctor said quickly. 'Yes, we did.'

Yngall looked around and spotted the familiar blue box. He sighed. This would get complicated….

Not showing any signs of further concern, he turned to his Queen. 'Would you like to sit down, my Lady?'

Nerenya nodded and held out her hand, resting it on his arm. He immediately brought her to the other end of the room and helped her sit down on the Obsidian Throne.

Clara and the Doctor walked over to them and waited until the queen would allow them to speak.

'Yngall, please get them a chair,' Nerenya said calmly.

Her servant smiled and bowed slightly. 'Yes, my Queen.'

His eyes lit up, the colours a thousand times brighter, only for a moment. Both the Doctor and Clara gasped. The young man was indeed a sorcerer.

Two chairs appeared behind them, made of ebony. They appeared quite comfortable.

Clara sat down in one of them, and hummed surprised. They were indeed as comfortable as they looked. After a moment's hesitation, the Doctor sat down as well.


	5. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter, as promised. Took two-three weeks instead of one, but here it is. We will do our best to write more, but finals start in one week, and that means little time to write... ANYWAY... Please enjoy, and fav/follow and review! :) **

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><p>As they entered the throne room, Yngall suddenly stopped.<p>

Clara looked around the throne room. It was a large hall, surprisingly light, despite its black walls. There were many windows to let in the little light that there was, and on each pillar graced a torch.

The entrance doors resembled the Black Gates rather much, but they were smaller and more decorated. At the other end of the room, where they were sitting, was a small stage on which the Obsidian Throne rested.

The walls were decorated with several banners in all kinds of colours, each embroidered with a different coat of arms.

She looked at the throne on which Nerenya was seated. It had a deep dark, purple-black colour, like the gemstone obsidian. The foot of the throne swirled upwards in a seemingly endless spiral with countless decorations, all carved from the same stone, narrowing at the middle and widening at both ends. The elegant arm rests emerged from the back, which seemed to fan out like flower leafs, or the tail of a peacock.

'Would you care for something to drink?' Queen Nerenya asked them both.

'Oh, tea would be lovely,' Clara said. 'What about you, Doctor?'

'Tea sounds good,' he agreed.

The Shadow Queen needed only to move her head slightly in her servant's direction and he bowed.

'I shall return right away with your tea,' he said, before disappearing.

'He looks rather different from everyone from the Shadow Lands I've seen so far,' Clara said. 'Everyone so far has white hair and red eyes, and he has auburn hair and green-blue eyes.'

'He is a prince from the Nethershadows,' the Doctor said. 'People from the Nethershadows don't necessarily have white hair or red eyes. They get more sun there.'

'They do have the pale skin, though,' Nerenya said. 'Those who are from the Shady Isles sometimes also have a darker skin.'

'What about the Shadow Architect and her acolytes?' Clara asked. 'Where are they from?'

'The Shadow Architect? She is my father's cousin.'

'Really?' Clara looked rather surprised. 'Did you know, Doctor?'

'No. There is very little known about her,' the Doctor said. 'And the first time we met wasn't exactly on friendly terms. She wanted me to lead an army against the Dalek fleet. I refused.'

Nerenya smiled. 'Yeah, that sounds like her.'

Yngall entered the throne room again carrying a tray with two cups of tea. He handed them to the two guests and then turned to his queen. 'Anything for yourself, my Lady?'

'Something warm, but no tea,' the Queen simply responded.

'As you wish, my Lady,' the young man said, bowing again before disappearing once more.

Nerenya sighed softly and leaned back against her throne. 'So, you were going to tell me what happened, Doctor. Please, go ahead.'

'Ah, yes…. Well, we landed in the streets of Umbrian yesterday evening,' he began. 'No one was there, which was, as we learned later, because of a curfew.'

'A curfew?' Nerenya raised an eyebrow. 'I don't remember anything about that….'

'No, I realised that too,' the Doctor said. 'We were wandering around a bit when a woman called out to us, telling us to go inside because of the curfew. She took us inside and explained the whole situation to us. Her name is Méav Dorval.'

'Méav?' Nerenya gasped. 'She still lives?'

'Healthy as ever, my Lady,' the Doctor said. 'She was the one who told us all she knew about that evening's events.'

'Please, enlighten me.'

'Of course, your Majesty. Méav told us about your conversation with her, that you wished to retire early and that she encouraged you to do so and get some sleep.'

'Yes, and…?'

'Apparently, near midnight something rather strange happened. Méav said that it felt as if a trance fell over the crowd, and they all packed their belongings and left the palace, no one being able to anything to stop themselves. She told they could only obey….'

'Obey what?' Nerenya asked, leaning in slightly.

'Some magic spell,' Clara said. 'Méav said that the spell stopped when the last of them had crossed the bridge. And when they looked back, they saw someone close the gate….'

'Who?'

'Your servant, Yngall,' the Doctor said, 'with a pure evil expression on his face.'

'Yngall? Evil?' Nerenya looked utterly shocked. 'He can't be. He's the sweetest guy in the world.'

'But she was sure of it,' Clara said. 'It was definitely him.'

'That's impossible,' the Queen said. 'He was with me all night!'

'But how would you know that if you were asleep?' Clara asked once more.

'I don't sleep alone in my bed,' Nerenya began to explain. 'I used to, when I was a child, but I could never sleep. I was scared of being alone. My parents couldn't stay with me during the night, but they could have a servant stay with me instead. When my father conquered the Nethershadows, he decided to remove the two young princes from their home. He always claimed that this was to prevent them from growing up hating their ruler, but he introduced them both to me and made one of them my personal servant, the one I liked best.'

'What happened to the other one?' Clara asked.

'I'm afraid I don't know,' the Queen sighed. 'Yngall never talks about his brother.'

'Why not?'

'Why don't you ask him?'

The Doctor and Clara looked up when the man entered the room once more, this time bringing something to for his Queen.

'My Lady,' he said as he handed it to her with a slight bow.

'Thank you,' she said softly and took a small sip from what turned out to be hot chocolate.

'Yngall, can I ask you something?' Clara said.

The man looked at her and smiled. 'Certainly, Miss. What is it that you would like to know?'

'What happened to your brother?' Clara asked brusquely.

Yngall blinked a few times in surprise. 'How would you know I have a brother?'

'I told her,' Nerenya said.

'Ah…' Yngall sighed quietly. 'He… kind of… fell off the map… I suppose.'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean, I rarely talk to him anymore,' Yngall said. 'We may be brothers, but we have little in common. He's more of an nationalist than I am, and he has always considered my Lady's father an invader, a usurper. He believes the Nethershadows should be a free country, as they once were.'

'Your brother, does he look a lot like you?' the Doctor asked.

Yngall shrugged. 'I guess.' Then he turned to his Queen. 'My Lady, will you be alright? I must attend to my chores.'

Nerenya nodded. 'I will call you if I need something.'

'Naturally,' the young man said and bowed, leaving the room again.


End file.
